Green teas are much more delicate and should never be brewed with boiling water or steeped as long as black teas are. The optimum water temperature varies from one variety to another. If you aren’t sure, brew it with water that is between 175F and 180F degrees and let it steep for only 2 minutes.

Ingredients

2quarts bottled spring water or filtered water

1/4cup loose green tea leaves or 8 standard green tea bags

Sugar to taste

2lemons, thinly sliced

Instructions

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a teakettle. Put tea leaves in a deep, heatproof bowl or large teapot. As soon as the water begins to boil, remove from heat and cool to the optimum temperature for the variety of green tea that you’re using (see headnote). Pour over tea leaves, stir, and let stand 1 to 2 minutes.

Strain liquid through a fine wire-mesh sieve or coffee filter into a pitcher. Sweeten to taste before cooling. If you’re not sweetening the tea, cool completely and serve over ice with sweeteners, lemon and mint passed separately.